Tiny Talks is an interview series with Tiny Spoon’s talented contributors. This week we spoke with Victoria Hood from our eleventh issue.
Tiny Spoon: What was your process or inspiration for engaging with the Emergence?
Victoria Hood: I’ve been continually interested in the ways our bodies continue to grow and change throughout our lifetimes. I, like many others, have struggled with body dysmorphia throughout my life; growing up, for me, was entwined in having an eating disorder, self harm, and fighting my body. Emergence, to me, is my way of coming to terms with living inside a body that supports me. This process is not linear, it is not always pleasant, but it is important. I used “The Blossoming” as a way to think about eating and growing and nourishing my body, which overlaps heavily with puberty and learning to understand our bodies early on. I hope to continuously emerge into different versions of myself as I learn to rely on and support my body.
TS: What kindles your creativity?
VH: Growing up my dad was always incredibly supportive of my writing. He never lied to me about his feelings on my writing and I know I can always rely on him to tell me what is working well or not so well in my work. As I’ve grown into writing about my family, and him specifically, he has always supported telling my truth even if it means writing about things he’s done. My siblings and sister-in-law also act as readers and inspiration. Having the continuous support of my family makes me want to write to make them proud and I’m so honored to have them by my side.
Horror movies are also such an inspiration to me. I love all forms of horror and tend towards body horror as a way to think about the kind of writing I want to do. There is something so unsettling yet comforting about viscera.
TS: Are there any artists/ heroines/ idols/ friends that you look up to?
VH: Sabrina Orah Mark is one of my biggest inspirations. The way in which she utilizes language to shift the perspective of how sentences work is awe-inspiring; I wish I could see all portions of life through her surrealist lens. The University of Maine English Department employs such amazing and talented authors and fosters such a supportive environment. Sharing a workspace with Greg Howard, Hollie Adams, Morgan Talty, and Jennifer Moxley has been great. Both of my partners are also such creative and talented artists. My partner, Harry Betz, is a musician (famous in my heart for his old punk band Electric Puke). My partner, Z Lavway, is a poet and writer and we constantly shove work to each other as we write.
TS: Are there any natural entities that move your work?
VH: Orion’s belt, always.
TS: We love insight into the creative process. Could you share what it is like for you, either with your work that appears in Tiny Spoon or in general?
VH: My creative process is entirely run by my ADHD; which makes for a chaotic process of chaotic work! I don’t write, except for when something comes to me and when it does I will drop everything to write until it finds a natural end//stopping point. When I worked in customer service, this often meant hiding and crouching while quickly typing into my phone, but it also sometimes means spending a whole day writing a chapbook!
TS: Do you have any current or future projects that you are working on that you would like to share?
VH: I worked with Girl Noise Press for my recent book of poetry, I Am My Mother’s Disappointments, which was released on Mother’s Day 2024! I’m currently working on a collection of longings titled Destroy Me, Desecrate My Bones that explores the grief of love in different capacities. This collection is focused heavily on my experience as a queer woman and my experience in a polyamorous relationship as well as the love we have for our friends and family. “The Blossoming” is actually a part of this collection!
TS: What book, artwork, music, etc., would you recommend to others?
VH: I always recommend Wild Milk by Sabrina Orah Mark! Recently, I’ve been obsessed with Human Sacrifices by María Fernanda Ampuero and Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang. In terms of music, I’ve been bingeing Circle Jerks and Descendents after I was able to see them earlier this year. Always a good, fast listen.
TS: Where can people learn more about what you do? (website, social media, etc., if you wish to share it)
VH: I’m on instragram @toriiellen and twitter @toriiellen1 (:
